Engineer Memoirs
Q ..
Tell me something about the organization of the division. Did you have white or
black NCOs? And how about the officers, were they white or black?
A ..
We started out with all black NCOs and no black officers, only white officers.
Gradually, the white officers were replaced by black ones. I originally had 27
white officers in my engineer battalion. By the time we arrived in Italy in the
spring of 1944, my unit contained 24 black officers and 3 white ones besides
myself.
Q ..
What jobs did you hold during the training of the division?
A ..
I started out as a company commander, and later became assistant G - 3 When we
assembled the entire division at Fort Huachuca, I became the division engineer and
the commander of the engineer battalion.
Q ..
What kind of training did you do at Huachuca?
A ..
My engineer battalion conducted normal engineer training. We built Bailey bridges
and various types of floating bridges. We trained in demolitions, mine-laying, and
mine-clearing. We also learned how to build roads and airfields. This was in
addition to our training as combat engineers. Very often during maneuvers my
engineer battalion was thrown into the fray in a combat role.
Q ..
Can you tell me something about the type of individuals you had in the92d? Were
they poorly educated or highly educated?
A ..
By the time our division was formed, most of the better men had volunteered or
been drafted. Although there were a few exceptions, most of our men were in the
lowest 20 percent profile, both intellectually and physically. None of our men had
been to college and only two or three had finished high school.
Q ..
How about your cadre?
A
The division cadre was excellent. Many of the noncommissioned officers had been
in the 9th and 10th Cavalry which were black units. The NCOs were all seasoned
soldiers with 20 to 25 years of service. They did a good job as trainers, but by the
time we went into combat they were too old to stand the rigors of fighting and
were either retired or put into labor battalions.
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